Agriculture sector stakeholders are demanding that the government allocate at least 10% of the 2027 national budget to the sector, arguing that persistent underfunding has constrained efforts to improve food security and increase agricultural production.
The demand comes ahead of the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy. Farmers say single-digit allocations in previous budgets have failed to provide the resources needed to address longstanding challenges across the sector.
The government’s 2026 Budget outlined several interventions to boost agricultural production and strengthen food security. These included the construction of 50 Farmer Service Centres, a GH¢200 million allocation to the National Food Buffer Stock Company, the installation of 200 solar-powered boreholes and the rehabilitation of livestock stations.
However, stakeholders say funding constraints and delays in releasing approved allocations continue to undermine the implementation and impact of these interventions.
Agriculture received an estimated GH¢13.9 billion in the 2026 Budget, representing an increase of GH¢1.5 billion over the previous year’s allocation. Despite the increase, farmers insist that more investment is needed to address the sector’s funding gaps.
The Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Bismark Nortey, says the government must honour its commitment under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, which calls on African Union member states to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture.
Speaking to Citi Business News, Mr Nortey said Ghana has been a signatory to the programme since 2003 but has yet to consistently meet the 10% allocation target. He said the association considers the target a minimum requirement for meaningful investment in the sector.
“We have, you know, Ghana is a signatory to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, which mandates all member states that we should allocate at least 10% of the national budget to the agricultural sector. And Ghana has been a signatory to this programme since 2003. And unfortunately, since that period, we’ve not had any consistent percentage allocation to the sector. So for us, our call has been consistent. The minimum that we expect Ghana to do is the 10%. For us, it is non-negotiable,” he said.
Mr Nortey is also urging the government to translate its New Economy Agenda into increased public investment in agriculture. He argues that the sector must receive a significant share of the resources earmarked for the initiative, given its potential to stimulate broader economic growth.
“I have heard that the government is considering what they call the new economy. And our expectation is that agriculture should take a chunk of that new economy. In fact, if allocations to that new economy, in terms of financial allocation, anything less than 50% of that allocation not going to the sector is dead on arrival. Because you need the sector to stimulate the kind of growth that we want. And we show that you need that kind of injection,” he said.
Meanwhile, poultry farmers are calling for increased investment in storage infrastructure for agricultural commodities, particularly maize, to help reduce feed production costs. They say inadequate storage capacity contributes to supply constraints and high feed prices, which remain among the biggest cost components for poultry producers.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Mohammed Ali, says improving local production and storage, alongside guaranteed markets for maize and soybean farmers, would strengthen the poultry value chain. He argues that reliable off-take arrangements would give local producers the confidence to increase production while ensuring a more dependable supply of raw materials for feed millers.
“When we can do it locally and do it cheaply and abundantly, we can have a very good chat. The local producer of the soya and maize, what they are expecting from us as a feed miller, when we talk to them about that, when there’s a guarantee, any time we produce, there’s an off-taker. That reduces their burden,” he noted.
The stakeholders say higher budgetary allocations, backed by timely releases of approved funds, will be critical to improving agricultural productivity, expanding local food production and easing food costs for consumers.
